THE LAP BILL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 15, 12 October 1907, Page 6

THE LAP BILL.

, FDRTHER CONSIDERED IN COMMITTEE. A CLOSE DIVISION. : The ''bursting-up.tax". was again . . ; ■ cbscßssed ■in the Legislative Conned throughout yesterday' afternoon. . All ■ the speakers expressed • general ' approval of the objects- of, the Land , and Income Assessment 'Bill, <:though most of them hhd some'faults to,.find,- and several thought 'tho limitation pro- •■ "• posals of last year . preferable • to;; the r . increasod graduated land tax. - The de- . tato is still unfinished. yv. . y •:v •In tho Lower House'• furthor... con- •' .rideration. was giveni'in.. Committee, to - - : i tho Land Laws' Amendment This constituted the fourth of-the • ' Comnnttco on this .measure.; Progress, • on tiro previous night was reported at [ •; Clause-22, and here the thread of the ] debate was taken up. This clause, and; y ,the one following it, which wore more ' 'or ksa-of a machinery description, wero goon disposed' of, and then hour's . discussion onsued -on Clause 24, which -providesaltered conditions under which. ■ -a mm shall apply.'for a section of land. Powefc is given for more than ' 'one ■ application to be; made by &n m- ,. " ■ 'dividual. Every phase of the question "was-debated, and finally the clause was. ■■ jassed unaltered. At Clause 26a, which deals with tho recording of improve-, monts, strong opposition was again Bet '' '■ up.' ; A number of amendments wero' '•-'Stored,' 1 among which was a proposal. ■ . 'to i throw the cost- of the work upon tho Government instead-of upon' the. 'settlor, as. suggested m the Bill. This, "proposal, however, was not. acceptable, to tho majority of the House. , By this time' the dinner adjournment had been 'reached* In the numerous, divisions up ■' to tho" present lt . was noticed voting - - .*was consistently in the Governments favour by a two to one majority. Clanse' 26a was put.-throngli witli a . slight amendment, shortly after the. , ' - resumption of business. - At Clause 27a. 'Mr Witf.y failed m an endeavour to •. ' - strengthen the safeguard ■ • against dummyism by making tho termof resi'denco' before an assignment, of • a lessee's interest m tho land is permitted four years instead of two."' , nJe' surprise of tho evening icame. - with' Clause 29,. which prescribes a now. ■ : scheme of classification for rural lands. !A number »of members'on, both sides of 1 • tho House expressed l their, dissatisfaction with ,the proposal,- and:after..somo ; i discussion Mr. Massoy moved to adopt • . . the 'classification which appears in the • 'Maori Land Settlement Act,. 1905. i: The Minister his .guns—and ■ nearly went downmwith them. The voting was equal, 31 on oach side, and the Chairman (Mr. R. M'Kenzio) gave Ins casting' vote against the amondment. Mr. M'Nab afterwards mti- • mated- his willingness to ,re-open the: : question at a later stago. The remainv;': ■ clauses to : 38, inclusive, were briefly ■ ' explained by the / Minister, and with . very little ddbate they were adopted.' '(It 1&.40 a.m. the House adjourned. , ;